Synyster Gates
by ElvenLeilah
Summary: 17 year old Leilah Ryan has been burdened with the possession of a demonic entity since she was young. For years, the demon called Satski lie fairly dormant, existing, though wishing not to control. That is... until Leilah met Shalako.
1. Chapter 1

**Leilah woke, cold. Cold with more than the chill of the evening. Cold with the prescience of a danger stronger than anything she had ever experienced before. Masked with concentrations, Leilah turned over in her sleeping bag. The sky was alight with the glow of millions of stars. The moon lie half-hidden behind the mountains, its reflection glittering magnificently in the lake at her side.**

**Leilah groped around for her sandals. She threw open her sleeping bag and rose mechanically, brushing dirt from her matted hair, which she also twisted into a knot at the nape of her neck. She collected a tight-fitting black tee and low-ride blue jeans and padded down to the lake. It was a quiet evening. No other creature had passed by her camp-sight this night.**

**She allowed her toes to breach the surface of the water; warm to her touch. She stripped and stepped into the lake, throwing her change of clothes onto the shore.**

---

Shalako had been traveling for days, with little to no sign of civilization. He'd have to stop soon, he needed a break from all the walking. Supposedly, there was a lake that Shalako would be coming up to soon that was great for a nice wash. Shalako could use a good wash.

Shalako was a man of middling height and medium build. His hair was dull black, and when he brushed it back, you could see the points on his ears that revealed his heritage. His legs were abnormally long for someone as short as he, as though he was made for running. And when someone looked into his eyes, they were a deep brown, almost the exact same color as his complexion.

So far that day, he'd walked around twenty some-odd miles. Finally, he noticed the lake up ahead in the distance. He picked his pace up a bit, bringing it up to a decent jog.

'I may just set up my tent for the night,' Shalako ponders, 'it'd be nice to sit around for awhile.'

Just as he reached the lake, and turned to look down the shoreline, he noticed a woman stepping into the lake.

---

**The water soothed her pains. As it enveloped her completely, it eased the strain across her tense shoulders. Then, forcing herself to relax, muscle by muscle, joint by joint, she tried to feel what subtle menace it was that had roused her. The danger was definitely nothing of minor proportions. It were enough to rouse the demon in her.**

**Leilah sighed. She had found no answer, nor did she feel that she would find one at such a time. She swam out toward the middle of the lake, more seemingly a pond but... who was there to tell her different? A small island sat there, enough for herself to fit upon, and perhaps another. She lifted herself upon the shore, not caring that she were nude. The soil were warm, for Weyr rarely became colder in the summer months.**

---

For a split second, Shalako watched her swim across to an island in the middle of the lake, and then went about his own business. He wasn't going to sit there and watch a girl swim around nude if she didn't know he was there.

Very carefully, his heavy hiking pack was lowered to the ground. After pulling out a few necessary essentials from his bag, he began to set up his camp. First, he got a fire started, and then he started the process of setting up his small tent.

Shalako glanced around, and noticed the girl again, sitting out on a small island in the middle of the lake... pond? It didn't really matter what it was. She was in it, and Shalako needed a bath. He put his pack inside his tent, along with his guns and his shirt.

He then walked behind a tree, and stripped the rest of the way down.

With a running start, Shalako dove smoothly, with barely a ripple, into the warm waters and proceeded to get clean. All the while, keeping his eyes carefully averted from the island in the lake.

After he considered himself thoroughly cleaned, he got out of the water and dried off with a dry towel from his pack. When he was dry and fully dressed (and feeling much better), he yelled out across the lake (pond?), "After you're done sitting out there, you're welcome to come eat with me."

---

**Leilah screamed. Loudly. Not for the fact that the voice had startled her, no. For the fact that there was another out there... watching her.**

**And on top of that, the voice had sounded very masculine.**

**She dove into the pond, serating the glassy surface as though a knife through butter. The water below was thankfully clear, for she did not surface until she reached the shore. Her clothes within reach, she dragged herself into the grass, lying low, and dressed herself as quickly as was possible in the position she was in.**

**She hiked across the clearing toward camp. She had a knife hidden beneath her sleeping bag... for safety measures. She pocketed the small weapon. Better to be safe than sorry. All the while she cursed, shouting mental threats and threw her weight around to express her undying anger. And, of course, embarrassment at having a man see her nude.**

**A blush crept across the bridge of her nose as she thought this and she quickly shook the feeling off. She gathered her lantern, threw her pack over her shoulders, and marched off into the woods.**

**Just as she figured, as she looked toward the sky, a funnel of smoke marked where the man had made camp. She turned toward the left, shouldering through brush and tree limbs. She had forgotten shoes and the ground had grown cold under this portion of woods. She shivered slightly though continued on with great determination.**

**It was not long before she breached the tree line and found herself standing in the middle of yet another clearing, a large fire blazing at its center, and a shadow at its side. And if she didn't know any better, it was staring straight at her, almost taunting her.**

**She marched forward, her brows knit together. Her eyes had narrowed, her gaze cold.**

**"What the hell is your problem?" she pressed, coming to a stop before the blazing flame. "Spying on a girl while she's bathing... don't you have manners?"**

---

"Well, you're obviously not too ashamed of yourself. You did come over to my camp," Shalako chuckled aloud, "besides, I'm not the one that needs to have manners. After all, you were exhibiting yourself out on that island."

Shalako moves around the camp, carefully choosing what he was going to cook.

"I hope you don't mind stew."

He pulls a medium sized pot from his pack and fills it with water from the lake. Then, it's taken back and put over the fire, where the water comes to a boil. Shalako starts throwing things into the pot.

"Want a chair, or does the ground work for a seat?" Shalako says, "Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"

---

**"I-I thought I was alone," she managed to reply weakly. "And I was NOT exhibiting myself. Not on purpose, anyway."**

**Leilah watched the man carefully, sizing him considerably. He did not come off as intending to be lecherous. Perhaps he was speaking truth. A wave of embarrassment rushed across her heart.**

**She bowed. "I apologize for coming off so roughly. And yes... the ground shall be just fine, thank you." She sat beside the man, though left a considerable space between them as not to come off as being too friendly. "My name is Leilah," she said then, gazing fondly into the fire. Call her a pyromaniac, but she loved fire. The dancing flames took her to an entirely different place. They calmed her, allowed her to think. She extended her hand toward the man, offering an opportunity for him to shake it. "May I ask yours?"**

---

He took her hand and said, "The name is Shalako, at your service. I didn't mean to startle you earlier, but I heard somewhere that there was a lake up here in the mountains that was good for a wash. I got here, and well... you know the rest of the story.", his eyes twinkling with humor as he talked.

Shalako stood back up and went back to his pack, where he pulled out bowls and cutlery for two. Almost as an after-thought, he picked his guns back up and strapped them on.

'Better watch myself,' he thinks, 'she seems to have a short temper.'

He takes the bowls up in his arms, and moves over to the pot, where he starts ladling thick, dark stew into each bowl. Out of the corner of his eye, he notices Leilah staring intently into the fire. The weirdest thing being, seeing the fire reflecting out of her eyes.

"So what brings you this deep into the wilderness, Leilah?"

---


	2. Chapter 2

**"I live here."**

**She stated this simply, for it were true, and there were no point in telling a story.**

**"You see, I lived in Weyr's capital city as a child, growing up with my mother and father. They were both plagued with pnemonia and passed when I was..." She thought a moment. "Six? After that I was sent to live with my grandmother..." She had begun to twiddle her thumbs at this point, feeling quite comfortable speaking these things to Shalako. "...in the countryside. I was 13 when she passed away. She was 78. A very old woman, but one helluva cook, let me tell you." She giggled, her cheeks flushed by the warmth of the fire and the happiness in her heart. "She lived down yonder." She diverted her gaze down toward the mountains. "Directly as the base. Wonderful little place... but after she passed I couldn't bear to live with her memory there anymore. I can contact spirits. Her ghost often visited me while I slept. One day I just said: 'enough'. It was too weird. So I packed a rucksack with clothes, matches... what have you. The necessities, you know. Packed everything up and came out here, by the lake. I played here often as a kid... I've always loved this lake."**

**She took a breath, realizing how odd she must sound. How different she must appear to Shalako. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on so long." She blushed, the smell of stew wafting through her nose, making her mouth water. "What about you, Shalako? I bet your story is far more exciting than mine."**

**Her eyes glittered expectantly.**

---

"It sounds like you've had a pretty rough time of it. I don't blame you for living up here," and Shalako put his hand on her shoulder, just for a second.

"But, to be honest, you probably wouldn't believe half of my story."

For a second, Shalako reflected on his long life, and the time before he had been banned from the Elven world. What little of it he could remember.

"Really, I'm just roaming the world. Although... I've pretty well traveled most of it."

Shalako hands Leilah her bowl of stew.

"I've met famous cooks, famous warriors, famous musicians and famous politicians. Most of them taught me a great many things."

He grinned at his last statement, "For instance, how to shoot."

"I guess it would be fair to tell you a bit about me though. I am elven," and he pulls back his hair to show her, "and I've been around quite awhile. 650 some odd years."

"Do I show my age very well?"

---

**The bowl was steaming in her grip, though it did not burn her. She did not notice it, really. She was far too focused upon Shalako, the elf.**

**"You seem in your prime," she replied, smiling. "Still young indeed." She lifted the bowl to her nose and sniffed the contents. "I'm sorry to announce that you don't get to feel special today." She spooned the food into her mouth. "Oh wow... this is fantastic!" she exclaimed, very satisfied. She swallowed shortly after and licked her lips. "I am nearly 400. Half-demon, you see." She smirked. "You must have thought I was younger. But I never told you how long ago I was 13." She winked.**

**"A very interesting life you must have indeed, Shalako. Tell me... who is the greatest person you have met in your travels? They could be from any year... past or current."**

---

"The most intriguing person I've met... that's a hard one... no seriously, it's hard. I'm afraid I have a horrible long term memory. And most things in my life are long-term," he says with a chuckle.

After thinking for a few moments, he says, "I must say the greatest person I ever met was one probably the Queen of the Elves. Although... her death caused my expulsion from the Elven society," and an extreme look of sadness came over Shalako's face.

He got up, and walked off into the encroaching darkness, still trying to recall more of what it was like with the Elves. No matter how hard he tried, as the days went past, he lost more and more of his memory. Shalako was becoming a man that lived solely on instinct and survival.

After awhile, he came to a hill and sat down on it, looking off into the night, which was as bright as day due to his Elven eyesight.

---

**Leilah was dumbstruck. She was not aware how to react to this confession. To be lost in the darkness of your past... it must be unbearable. She sat in silence and finished her stew, setting the bowl beside her, and watched Shalako for a while. He seemed deep in thought... and sad, somewhat. She could see the way his features fell when he had mentioned the death of the Queen. Almost as if he was the cause... or blamed himself.**

**She shook away the thought, for it was not her place to pry. She sat for a while longer, staring in to the fire, thinking on behalf of herself. She had never spoken to another being that was as she was; not of the human race. It was intriguing, sure, though, at the same time, a bit overwhelming. It seemed as thought he, too, wasn't sure how to interact with her. That was probably the result of her short temper. She couldn't help it, though. That's what happens when you're away from civilization for hundreds of years.**

**She rose mechanically then, brushing the dirt from her jeans. She did not go near Shalako, only called to him softly: "I will leave you be, if you'd like. If you ever wish to speak again, I'm sure you can find my camp."**

**She turned around and walked back home.**

---

Shalako decided that, that night, he wasn't going to sleep in his tent. He was going to pack his clothes on a waterproof bag on his back and sleep out on that tiny little island.

He stripped down, and put all his clothes in the bag, and tied it shut. He waded in up to his waste in the water, and then started to breast-stroke effortlessly out to the middle of the lake. When he reached the middle, he got out of the water, and put all of his clothes back on. Then, he simply laid down on the grass and sand, and fell asleep.

For a short while.

He never seemed to sleep much anymore anyways.

So, once again, Shalako gathered all his clothing up in a bag and swam back to the main shore. There, he packed everything back up into his pack, and made his way around the edge of the lake, following the lady's footsteps.

When he got there, he called out, "Hallo the camp! Anyone there?"

---


	3. Chapter 3

**Leilah glanced up from her book, as she, herself, had made a fire and snuggled into her sleeping bag. "Shalako?" Her eyes adjusted well to the darkess as she peered about, locating the weary form if, indeed, Shalako, the contents of his camp on his person. This confused her. Why on Earth would he be leaving in the middle of the night?**

**"Come to say goodbye?" she asked, closing the book and setting it beside her in the dirt. She fumbled out of her sleeping bag, dressed no longer in jeans, but flannel, red an black plaid pajama pants and her tight fitting black tee. Her hair was still pulled back into a knot at her neck. "Come. Sit, if you like. I have Smores. Would you like some?" She paused. "Do you know what Smores even ARE?"**

**At this she laughed and stuck a marshmellow to a stick, thrusting it into the fire.**

---

Indignantly, Shalako said, "Of course I know what a smore is!", even though he had no clue what in the world a smore was. Or, if he did, he couldn't remember what it was.

He sat his pack down, and said, "I'm not leaving, but I don't sleep very long at night. Two or three hours at the most."

Shalako watched her move around the camp for a second, wondering if the queer little white thing on the end of the stick she was holding had something to do with 'smores'. Secretly, he hoped it didn't, because the thing looked absolutely grotesque.

He reached around and touched the butt of the gun sticking out of his back-holster, feeling the energy spark between his hand and gun. Lately, this had been happening every time he touched his weapons. He wasn't sure what this strange power was.

Shalako was almost scared to fire his guns because of the feeling that he felt whenever he started holding them. He'd been resorting to either talking his way out of conflicts or using some other weapon if he ever ran into a problem with someone or something.

"Okay, I lied. I'm not sure what the heck a smore is. But does it have anything to do with that nasty looking little white thing you have on that stick?"

---

**She blinked.**

**"It's a marshmellow..." She looked from him to the stick and back again. "It's the gooey center of a Smore. You need to add graham crackers and chocolate. Here." She broke a cracker into halves and stuck two pices of chocolate on one of them. The marshmellow, still hot, was sent atop the chocolate, and the other half smushed over it. She handed the morsel to Shalako. "You'll like it. Promise." She gave him a thumbs up and dug into her own, a string of marshmellow trailing from her lips to the dessert.**

**She kicked back and waggled her toes, the fire warming them.**

**"Thanks for the company. I appreciate it. It gets pretty lonely out here sometimes." She smiled politely. "Nice to have someone to talk to. Well... someone that talks BACK. You can only talk to squirrels and deer so long." She began to giggle.**

---

"Marshmallow eh..."

Ponderously, he looks at the odd confection. It smelled alright.

Carefully, he took a bite.

"Hey! This thing is pretty damned good!", he exclaimed, and proceeded to devour it whole. After it was gone, he looked up at Leilah and gave her a chocolate-covered-teeth grin.

"And you should really try talking to the animals when they can answer back! Deer are really quite boring, but you can't really talk to squirrels because they take off within moments starting a conversation with them."

He looked around the clearing for a moment, and then looked back at the girl sitting next to him.

"You have something on your lip. Here, I'll get it for you," and he reached in and proceeded to wipe the melted marshmallow from her lip.

---

**Leilah froze as his fingers grazed her lip. She stopped breathing for a moment, her heart faltering as it beat. She hadn't expected him to touch her, even if it were a polite gesture. Still... she could not help but feel a little insecure.**

**"Ummm... i-it's okay." Great... I'm stuttering. Why on Earth am I nervous? He's just being friendly. As his hand pulled away, she looked quickly toward the ground, a blush creeping across her cheeks, along her neck and spreading across her shoulder blades. She didn't want ihm to see. She had just met this man for goodness sake. "T-thanks for that." She scratched the back of her head and managed nervous laughter. "I'm, uh... glad you like those." She pointed at the chocolate that covered his mouth. "The Smores, I mean." She paused, figuring that she should return the kindness. "You have, uh, a little bit of chocolate right... right there." She leaned forward and, without touching, brought the spot to his attention. "If you're thirsty, I have, um... well, I dunno if this is appropriate, but it is all I have, besides water and tea. I have a bit of rum. nYou can have it all, if you want. I'm going to, uh... make myself another Smore."**

**And she busied herself with doing so.**

**Pull yourself together, Lei. Be strong! He is simply being polite. Nothing more is meant. Calm yourself...**

---

"While the rum sounds good, I think I'll take another one of those smores if you don't mind."

'Why is she stuttering so much?', Shalako wonders, 'Maybe she's cold...'

"So what do you do out here, all by yourself? Other than talking to squirrels and deer that is," he says with a wink.

'If she's cold, should I offer her my jacket?', he continues with his pondering, 'No, because then I'll be cold as well...'

Shalako noticed a few crumbs and sticky stuff left on his fingers and starts to make sure his hands are thoroughly clean.

'I know, I'll keep my jacket on, and as soon as she leans back, I'll scoot closer and put my arm around her. That should warm her up a bit.'

So Shalako waits for her to recline again.

---

**"No no. Not at all." She added a second marshmellow to her roasting stick and held them over the fire to brown. She busied her mind on other things, drifting back toward the impending danger she had sensed earlier in the night. What sort of danger lurked in the darkness? It was powerful enough to worry her, and this happened rarely. Never before had she faced a challenge she could not complete victoriously.**

**"This is an odd question, I must think. However, did you happen to sense anything odd earlier in the evening?" She hadn't meant to ask this aloud, though felt as though she should ask regardless. Funny how such an awkward situation could cause her to forget something of such a serious manner.**

**The marshmellows caught fire and she blew them out, not at all worried that he might reject his for the addition of germs via her windpipe. She giggled at this thought, for it sounded leacherous, though she did not intend for it to be. She had been without sleep for, save for a brief hour earlier in the evening, for some three days now. Something had kept her awake. This same feeling of uneasiness. Of coming danger.**

**She brushed the thought aside and delivered Shalako's dessert after having smushed the marshmellow between two halves of a grahman crackers."There we are, sir. One Smore." She prepared her own and bit into the delightful morsel, her eyes rolling back into her head in satisfaction. In truth, the only food she had eaten in the entirety of her day had been with Shalako. Which, in truth once more, was not enough to feed her. For a girl, she could eat... a lot.**

**She sat beside Shalako once more, this time, a little closer. The temperature had dropped enough that the night sent chills across her body, though it were still warm enough to be without a jacket. Just sitting this near to him warmed her, if only a little. And the fire did as well, though not enough to please her.**

**She finished her treat and licked her fingers, making sure to get every last ounce of food from her face as well. Her eyes felt heavy; the lack of sleep was at last getting to her. The warmth did not help, either.**

---


	4. Chapter 4

Shalako thought for a second, because he had noticed something earlier in the evening. He didn't register it at first, because he was used to feelings odd when approaching a demon, which he had certainly done. But as she she was only a half demon, he should not have been able to feel such a heavy presence. Something else was definitely in the area, and Shalako didn't think he liked the idea of what it was.

"I did, in fact, notice something out of place. When you told me you were half-demon, I wrote it off as the feeling was coming from you," he hesitated, "but I shouldn't get such a strong pressure, or whatever, when there's only a half-demon around."

When she handed him the smore, he was temporarily lost to the world. He was slightly dissapointed when the treat was gone, but resisted the temptation to ask for another.

Looking over, he noticed the content face and the droop eyelids of Leilah. He smiled a bit, and, very carefully, put his arm around her.

---

**The gesture almost did not register with Leilah. It was strange, how quickly fatigue onset, though it was always like this with her. She could be lively and awake one moment and fast asleep the next. However she couldn't allow herself to fall alseep on him, and allowed herself to nestle into his arm. A friendly gesture, just being polite... she convinced herself.**

**"So, um..." she chewed at her bottom lip, at a loss of what to say. "What kind of creature could emminate such a powerful aura? I have a stronger evergy level than most other half-demons," she hesitated, "but yes. I did believe it was coming from you. Now that I know it is not, I'm an intrigued."**

**She yawned.**

---

'I knew she was just cold!', exclaims Shalako in his own head.

Shalako was trying to recall people and things that put auras off like that that he'd known of. Somehow, he was having a hard time thinking of anything at this point in time but the girl cuddled up to his side.

"Well... I've known of full demons that put off energy like that. Not to mention people that wielded extremely powerful weapons. Also... the Elven city. But I think the Elves would have made contact with me and told me to leave if I was near that."

He thought for a few seconds.

"Also, any heavily expended energy could gather up and store itself for a long time. If it was a big enough pocket, it could very well explode and have the blast radius of a Nuclear weapon, but only people such as us would be able to feel it."

Shalako yawned, and noticed his own eyes starting to sag. Oddly enough, he didn't care that he was falling asleep where he was.

---

**"I have known full demons as well, though, this seems even stronger than that. As though it is something not from Earth... as though it is Hell itself raging war upon the land. Although, I could be wrongfully stereotyping the power. It is just that the part of me that is demon is an advocate of Hell. Every demon is. Even half-demons. Their other part is of Hell. Though I rarely touch base with my other part. She calls herself 'Satski'... I only call upon her in times of dire need, which has not been recently. Not for some two hundred years or more. Oddly, she can not control me if I do not will it, so she has lay dormant."**

**She attuned herself to watching him, though made it seem as though she weren't. He seemed as tired as she were, though she was beginning to feel far too comfortable where she was. His yawning triggered one of her own, and she covered her mouth with her hands. I must remain awake, she told herself. Her eyelids drooped and closed, though she opened them as quickly as they did. **

---

Shalako is silent for a few moments, pondering everything that he possibly knew about demons. He also noticed the covert glances from Leilah. There weren't many things you could hide from an elf. Oddly enough, he wasn't uncomfortable with the position in which they were sitting.

Then, he remembers something from earlier in the evening, "It's odd really... when I was out there on that island in the lake, I felt a horribly persistent presence. As though something were calling to me."

He uneasily questions himself for a second.

"I've had the feeling of someone calling me like that ever since I've found this... power... between me and my guns."

And he pauses again, however this time, it's a long pause, because he falls asleep.

---

**Leilah took a breath and held it.**

**The elf had fallen asleep. And he was still holding her.**

**She felt it rude to move him, though at the same time, wasn't sure whether or not to move herself. Her place was so comfortable, and the elven man, so warm, so...**

**She felt her eyes droop closed, though this time, she could not open them again. She slumped sideways into Shalako's chest and fell fast asleep.**

---

A full eight hours later, Shalako awakened. It was the longest he'd slept in decades. He carefully extricated himself from the half-demon girl and made his way over to the lake, where he washed his face and hands.

He looked up, and noticed a queer shimmering across the water, right above the island. For the moment, he wrote it off, and walked back to her camp. He built the fire back up, and noiselessly removed a pan from his pack. He'd cooked for her last night, why not this morning as well?

Shalako went into the woods, and a short while later came back with a dozen medium sized eggs. After cracking the eggs back into the pan, he looked over at Leilah and said, "Hey, good morning sunshine. Want your eggs over-easy or scrambled?"

While waiting for her to wake up, he slung his guns around his waist so they were resting in the small of his back. As an after thought, he removed a flamberge from his voluminous pack and strapped it across his back so the hilt came over his left shoulder.

Again, he looked out onto the lake and saw the shimmering, and frowned. It was more noticeable.

---

**She stretched, arching her back, blinking her eyes against the sunlight glittering off of the lake. "Scrambled, I suppose." She yawned. "You should let me do something. You've cooked for me already." At least he's a good cook, she grumbled in her mind. 'I suck.'**

**"Actually, you don't mind if I excuse myself for a moment, do you?" She gathered herself together and padded down toward the lake, cupping the sparkling water in her palms and bringing the cool water to her lips. The water quenched her thirst, her throat relieved of it dryness. She splashed a bit of water on her face to awaken herself further, and happened to look up at the right moment. An odd glittering spot bubbled towards the center of the pond, near the small island in the middle. She slowed her movements until she stopped altogether, staring intently at that spot, her demonic senses attune.**

**She sniffed the air, though all she could scent was Shalako and the eggs back at camp... which smelt absolutely wonderful.**

**She let her hair down and ran her fingers through the rats' nest, making it look at least somewhat decent. It was short, set in choppy layers that fell across her blue-gray eyes, leaving them in shadow.**

**Padding back to camp, she could not get her mind off of that mysterious spot in the lake. She sat down beside the fire and watch Shalako prepare their breakfast.**

**"Sooo... I sensed something again this morning," she said to no one in particular, though knew Shalako was listening intently. "Near the island in the lake... or pond... or whatever you want to call it. There was this strange, glittering spot... I'm not sure what that means, but... wow does that smell good!" Her stomach growled hungrily.**

---


	5. Chapter 5

Shalako put most of the eggs on a plate from, none other than his pack, and handed it to her. His mind was racing. What was it that was bugging him? Was he supposed to know what was going on? Maybe something that he had learned back when he still lived with the elves? He was almost sure of it.

But that was almost six hundred years ago. How was he supposed to remember something like that? Especially since the Elves had erased most of his memory with them, so he wouldn't be able to find his way to their cities again.

"I noticed the spot too. After we finish eating, I'm going to swim on over there and have a look. I'd really like to know why that island bugs me."

Shalako looks ponderously at Leilah, "You can come out there with me if you'd like, but you don't have to. I have a feeling that the reason I came through this area is specifically so I could look at that."

He chuckles, and continues, "Although, my reason for being out here could be to cook for you."

---

**Leilah laughed at the contents of his pack and, as well, at the comment of his cooking for her. "I was actually going to ask if I could tag along. It bothers me as well... greatly." She became serious for a moment. "I have this feeling that it wants us both... how else would we have come together in such a remote place as this, unless by freak accident? I live here... you're traveling through... through this place, exactly." She began to growl, though it was without her knowledge. She realized this a moment later and ceased. "Something's a bit fishy here... I want to find out what it is."**

**She dug in to her plate of eggs, eating them in haste, for she was starving. She cared not about looking like a pig; she was proud that she could eat. Most girls were embarassed to pig out, especially in front of the opposite sex.**

**"Wow... these are amazing," she spoke through a mouth full of food. "I owe you... BIG TIME. If you're around later, I'll fix us lunch. Or dinner or... whatever." She smiled, taking a moment to register what she had just said, and then dug back in.**

**I have this feeling that Hell is about to break loose... but who am I to say? I wonder if I should summon Satski... She shook her head. No. Absolutely not. She'll most likely end up killing Shalako. She sighed heavily and set her empty plate aside.**

**"Alright... I'm ready whenever you are. Oh... and I actually have a bathing suit... swimming in these clothes would weight me down and..." She blushed. "Well, you know. I'll be back in a moment." She rummaged through her pack and withdrew a simple deep purple bikini top with matching board shorts; nothing flattering at all. She wasn't TRYING to show off anyway.**

**She dunked behind a tree, changed quickly, and met Shalako by the fire.**

---

It was very odd that they had met up, at the very place that they were going to investigate. And since Shalako didn't believe in coincidence, there was obviously a reason that they had met.

After a quick internal debate, he decided that it was probably best to take his pack with him. Never knew what they might need out of it. He'd just have to tow it across the water on a rope. Not the first time he'd done it, and certainly not the last.

He took off his guns, sword, shirt and shoes and threw it all in the pack. Why not just swim in his pants? Besides... he didn't feel like digging for a pair of shorts. As an after thought, he reached back into the pack and pulled out an odd-looking bubbly looking gun. It didn't look like much, but it could fire underwater. Just being prepared.

Walking out to the edge of the lake, he gazed out at the shimmering spot. It was a thicker shimmer now. Instead of looking like heat waves, it looked almost like someone was warping the world at that point. Thinking for a second, he picks a rock up off the shoreline and throws it at the shimmer. The rock never made it back to the ground. Instead, it went into the shimmer and disappeared.

Turning around, Shalako looks at Leilah and says, "Don't know if you saw that or not, but are you sure you still want to go with me?"

---

**Leilah really didn't have to wait for the invitation. She dove head-first into the pond, her body slicing through the water like a knife through butter. She surface a moment later, wiping the water from her eyes. "You comin'?" she asked Shalako, seeing that he was still on shore, his pack on a towline. "By the way, I'm not afriad of whatever this thing is. I think you mistake me for a coward?" Her eyes narrowed. "I have fought great things in my lifetime. Perhaps nothing as deadly as this could be, potentially, though I'm sure it will be fantastic." She grinned and began to backstroke toward him.**

**"Race ya."**

---

Shalako grinned and jumped in. He easily outstripped the half-demon by using all of his considerable Elven endurance and strength. He got to the island, and walked to the shimmer.

'Well, there's only one way we're going to find out about it,' and stuck him arm through. Instantaneously, he noticed a crawling feeling along his arm. Also, he could hear a rustling in his pack, directly from where his guns were.

Shalako turned around and said to Leilah, "I didn't mean to call you a coward. What I really wanted to know is, could you control your demon half if something were to happen?"

He waited for a few seconds, "Because I'd really hate to have to kill your demon half. I don't know if that would result in your own death or not."

---

**Show off, she grumbled within her mind, watching Shalako.**

**"I am not sure how well I could control Satski," she replied as she reached the island, hauling herself to shore. "She has not seen the world in nearly one-hundred and fifty years. However..." she gazed intriguingly at the shimmer. "...I'm sure death will not be necessary. Though, if she IS murdered, I will merely lose my powers and become entirely human again... and die within a few years. For biologically, I am far past my time, for a human, at least."**

**She bit her lip, kneeling down to examine the shimmer. The sun warmed her back and reflected brightly off the strange shimmering spot. She cocked an eyebrow and moved closer, leaning over the spot. There was a shadow moving about its center. Just as soon as it would appear, it would dissapear, as though shy to be seen. Or inviting them down?**

**She, too, reached in and stuck her arm into the spot. The shimmering aura traveled up her arm, glittering more brilliantly, as though it were happy to have contact with their bodies. "How strange," she mumbled to herself. "It seems to be a portal of some kind... it has no end." She grappled for the bottom. Nothing. Her fingers caught only air... all about her. "I think we have to go in," she said to Shalako, sitting back on her toes. "It's a vortex... most likely to another dimension. It would be foolish to ignore this invitation."**

**She took a breath and held it, stretching her legs out before her. She lowered them into the shimmering spot; immediately they were swallowed. "So... we gonna do this or what? And don't you DARE say I'm making a hasty decision. I like adventure. Come on now.... this could be fun."**

---

"I would never say you're making a hasty decision. However, I think this is the perfect time for the quote 'Don't test how deep the water is with both feet'."

Shalako thinks for a second, and yells, "Race ya!"

He takes a running start and pencil dives right into the vortex.

For a split second, everything is a shining, shimmering world. And then his feet hit ground. What he sees before his face amazes him, and when he looks up, he sees Leilah standing above him, although he's sure she can't see him.

He yells up, "You coming?"

---

**His yelling wasn't quite necessary, for she came tumbling to the ground just seconds after, her screaming an echo around them. Her face was flushed from laughter, she hair tossled and wild from the ride down.**

**She landed with a thud at his feet, staring up at the sky from her back. "Whoo! What a rush. That was awesome!" She sat up, giggling. And suddenly, her face became very grave. "Oh my-"**

**Before them lie a barren wasteland, the ground cracked and dry, as though there had been no rain for years. She picked herself up off the ground and dusted her clothes, peering through the thick smog that wafted through the air. It smelled of sulfur, as though they were near a volcano. And to her eyes she could see that she were correct. Lava burbled up through cracks in the Earth, as though the ground would explode at any moment. The air was humin, smoldering, and her hair was already matted to her forehead.**

**She looked back up through the vortex; it continued to shimmer and shine, the only thing standing between them and serenity. For this place was...**

**Something inside of her stirred and she felt as though she could not longer control herself, as though she were being controlled by another. As though a demon possessed her...**

**"Welcome to Hell, Shalako," Satski hissed.**

---


	6. Chapter 6

Without hesitation, Shalako whips out a Glock and places it to the side of Satski's head.

"Now, let's get one thing clear. I've been alive too long and experienced far too many demons to be killed by one. I get along with Leilah. I hope the same can go for you as well. If not, I know of ways to sustain a demon and keep its human counterpart alive."

Just to be sure that the demon understood, he pulled back the hammer on his gun.

"I'm an elf. I'm just as powerful as you, probably one of the few things that can take care of a demon. So, do ye savvy?"

---

**"Calm yourself, Elf." She pushed the twin Glocks from her face, pointing a finger at him. "Now listen here. I do not intend to be your friend. Leilah is weak... and a sucker. I am not." She hissed, her scarlet eyes narrowed. "But, I will not kill you. My host would not care for that, and it is through her that I live. God forbid I piss off the Queen." She rolled her eyes. "And I suggest you keep those pathetic excuses for weapons out of my face, or things WILL get ugly."**

**She turned on her heel, her raven black hair, cascading along her back, fluttering a moment on the wind, before settling back into place. She looked not the same as Leilah; no longer were there the blue-gray eyes that had appeared so friendly, but eyes as red as blood that pierced the soul and threatened the body. Her skin had lost its flushed complexion, now bleached ghostly white. Her nails had curled into claws, her teeth into fangs. Though there was still a bit of Leilah in her, through it all.**

**Deep within.**

**No longer dressed in Leilah's clothes, she reached into the sheath fastened tightly in her belt sash and drew Deorai, a mystical blade that housed the power and strength of one hundred demons. It glittered metallically in what little light there was. Actually, there was no light, nor was there darkness. It was odd and difficult to explain. There just... was.**

**Her outfit was that of an assassin, so it seemed. A black jacket ladden with buckles and chains, complimented by a pair of tight, black leather pants and knee high combat boots. There was a necklace about her throat; a studded collar.**

**"Don't expect that I know anything of what we're doing here, just because I know this is Hell," she began, scenting the air. "I am attune with Hell. That was why I was able to break free. Hell called to me, and I replied. However, I was banished from Hell hundreds of years ago; I do not sadden at the thought of having to kill my own race." She turned back to peer questionably at Shalako. "You're an odd fellow, aren't you? Elves aren't seen nowadays in Weyr. How queer, indeed, that Hell's gate opened in precisely the place you wander." She smirked, her fangs glittering dangerously. "What did you do to anger your people? I know there is something... for they have cursed you, and that is why Hell's gate has opened. To punish me, as well as you."**

---

"I've dealt with demons before. Killed a few really. I'm none too concerned with you."

Shalako glances at his guns, and says, "These things you call puny excuses for weapons have more power in them than they appear to have... I think."

He takes in the demon's appearance, wondering how her looks had changed so much, yet so little from Leilah's. And her weapon! He'd seen it before.

"You want to know the reason I was banished from the city of the Elves? The Queen of that time was killed, while I was head of the Guard. Due to the lapse in attention of one of my guards."

After thinking for a second, he adds, "She was killed by a demon."

---

**The smile that pulled at the corners of her lips suggested something of a mischievous, long-kept secret. As though his words, his thoughts, were about to become reality, and his own personal nightmare.**

**"Funny you should mention that, Shalako," she chuckled. "That your Queen be murdered by a demon." She paused, searching his features, his expression. She saw no lapse; he was intrigued, surely, and continued. "Only the most despicable demons are banished from Hell, Shalako. Ones that disobey orders from Satan himself. Only the most daring creatures in the world would risk such a feat." She brought herself forward, her face merely inches from his. "You know, Shalako... I figured you familiar when Leilah came upon you last evening. I wracked my mind, searching for a link. Something that would put the pieces together. And then I had my result. YOU were the reason I was banished from Hell! The reason I was forced to spent the rest of my years residing with a... a stupid, mindless HUMAN like Leilah. Heh... dear Shalako." She set a hand upon his shoulder. "You were there the night I murdered your Queen. You watched, like a helpless puppy, while she died on your watch.**

**"Now I take that you must be wondering WHY I killed her, and the reasoning is quite simple, and I will tell you: I had been sent by Lucifer to collect the Elven's debt from the Queen. You see, she had pacted with the devil. Pacted that we do not go to war with the Elves; that we be their allies if war WERE to come about. Satan, being the cunning man he is, agreed... for a price." She giggled, stepping back. "We remain your allies and your Queen ups the taxes of your precious Eleven society. We get half." She smiled. "I came to retrieve a late payment. I asked nicely once... twice... a third time, even, but..." She shrugged. "I guess she felt as though she could short me. That bitch... she actually thought I wasn't going to notice! Oh, but I noticed alright... and sadly, my sword found its way through her heart. And blah, blah, blah... you know the rest. And that's history, baby."**

**Though before Shalako could so much as respond, Satski was no more, and Leilah stood in her place, blinking curiously. She, too, was dressed in Satski's garb, though it was truly Leilah.**

**"God dammit, Satski!" she screamed, dropping the sword she unknowingly weilded to the ground.[ "What did you DO? I swear to God... don't you EVER try to pull that shit again! This is MY body, you got that? MY BODY!" Her body shook violently, as though in shock. Though slowly, the seizing stopped, and her breathing returned to normal. She turned to face Shalako, her face very serious. "My God, Shalako... what did she say to you?"**

---

"Well Leilah, I found out why I didn't sense your demon presence as much. It's one that I've come into contact with before. You see, your demon side is the one that killed my queen when I was on watch."

Shalako didn't know whether he wanted to go back up into the shimmering light hanging above his head, or to attempt to make Satski come back out of Leilah. He had more questions to ask her. Shalako wanted to know why exactly he had been summoned to hell, along with her. If she had banished, why was she being pulled back in?

"I wonder if it's possible that Satan realized that I had come into contact with you, so opened a portal to draw me in. Maybe you weren't supposed to come along. After all, your demon side was banned from Hell."

Picking up his pack, he proceeded to pull out any weapons he felt would be necessary. He kept his Glocks, of course, and added a belt of throwing daggers, a boot knife, a broadsword, a rifle, and after a little thought, filled his pockets full of ammo for everything.

Elves hated running out.

"In case you're wondering why I'm getting all this stuff together, I suppose I should tell you that I'm off to visit the very person that caused my Queen's death. We're off to see Satan."

---

**Leilah grabbed hold of his arm, gazing sadly toward the ground. "I-I... knew about that, what happened to your Queen. Satski told me the day she possessed me." She bit her lip. "I just... Satski had hidden it from my memory, so I didn't relize what was happening. Until now, that is. I guess I should tell you why she's being summoned back, huh?" she released him and stepped back, rubbing her arm nervously. "They're summoning Satski back to execute her. because we're mixed up with you. Meaning that I'll be without my demonic counter part. And not only that, but I am being sentenced to two years, at most, of life as a human, with Satski gone. And then I pass. And that will be the end of my life. Forever."**

**She looked up at Shalako, a grave saddness across her features. This was the truth. Satski had erased this knowledge from her mind some two hundred years ago. However, when they had passed through the shimmering portal, Satski had lost her control and their minds entertwined. She hadn't the time to tell Shalako before Satski took over her body.**

**She brushed the hair from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Shalako. I hadn't the time to tell you." She watched as he packed his things. "I would like to make this journey as myself. I don't trust Satski. Not at all. So if you will still allow me to come along... I will not allow Satski to surface again, unless you would like her for questioning."**

---


	7. Chapter 7

"Leilah, I may have a way for you to go on living, even after Satski is gone. It takes a great amount trust and a couple other things for it to happen however. After we make it out of here, I'll tell you what it is. For now, we must rid you of what's inside you. Personally, I'd like to do it, but I'm sure Satan has a much better way of doing things."

After looking around for a quick second, he turns back to Leilah, "Now, where in the hell are we supposed to go?", grinning, "Pardon my horrible pun"

If only there was a way to get themselves back out of there. Then, Leilah could go on controlling her demon, and Shalako wouldn't be in this mess. He probably should have told her now, rather than later, that the only other way to sustain such a long life is to mate with an Elf.

---

**She could have hugged him, though even to her that would have seemed a little socially awkward. Not to mention, inappropriate in such an environment. However, despite their predicament, he cheered her, and she was glad for that much, at least. Alongside having a little bit of company along the way. He was WONDERFUL company, though she would never admit that aloud. That was just something she would keep to herself... for the time being, anyway. At least until they were out of this Hell-hole -- no pun intended.**

**"Thank you, Shalako. That means so much." She smiled, her cheeks finally having regained their colour. "I will answer your question in a moment. I need to take stock of this magnificent craftmanship." She bent down and retrieved Deorai from the dust. The blade, though dirtied, still glittered magnificantly. "The power of 100 demons lies within this sword," she explained. "I remember Satski mentioning this blade before. Deorai, she called it." She pursed her lips in concentration, balancing the blade perfectly even on her index finger. "Perfectly balanced... the sword was crafted by a very skilled blacksmith, I will tell you that much."**

**Showing off her skills as a swordswoman -- something she had failed to mention to Shalako, though he would soon see this for himself --she flipped the blade into the air and caught the hilt, slicing the air cleanly with that satisfying 'shwoo' sound that came from a quickly moving object. She turned on her heel, a graceful movement, and slashed at nothing. Slowly she back into her starting position and sheathed the blade, grinning at Shalako. "Sorry about that. I needed to test its weight. I would not want to go into battle weilding a blade too heavy for me... or even too light. But this... it was as though it were crafted expecially for me. How odd."**

**She took a moment to catch her breath and collect herself. She drew her hair up and removed a black ribbon from her wrist, tying her hair into a pony tail. Or, lack thereof a pony tail; her hair was almost too short to do ANYTHING other than leave it down.**

**"Okay, on to your question." She gazed about curiously. "I should ask the same. Without the pun, of course." She grinned. "But, if I were to guess... I would go with that very large castle that looms in the distance. That's MY opinion, though."**

---

Shalako grinned, and looked at Leilah, "I don't know about half-demons, but Elves could make it to that castle within a few hours at a dead run. I can hold a dead run that far."

Looking sadly down at his pack, he goes, "I think I'm going to toss my pack back up through the vortex. It could be cumbersome, and I have all the weaponry I need."

With little effort, he grabbed it and heaved it back up through. So, to keep her alive, he was going to have protect her. Not only going in, but especially coming back out. She was probably going to be weak after Satski was killed.

After tying down all of his considerable weapons, he looks over to Leilah, and notices her playing with the hilt of the sword.

"You do know that the sword is not going anywhere, right?"

Shalako stands up and stretches, "Ready to go?"

---

**Leilah cocked an eyebrow at him. "You do not think I can keep up with you?" She laughed. "You are very funny, do you know that? Just because I'm a half demon doesn't mean I am any less capable of keeping up with you. I could even BEAT you. Yeah, that's right. I said it. I. Could. Beat. You."**

**It was true she was just taunting him now. Though, she COULD run fairly quickly. She been a part of the Track Team when she was human... before Satski. Before she had to dissapear or else people would realize that she never aged. In truth, that is the reason why she lived out in such a place as the wilderness of Weyr. If she had gone back to the city, it would have seemed a little... strange, that while youngsters grew older, Leilah remained young. And would reamin this way for the rest of her life... at least, WOULD have, if she would not be losing Satski.**

**She was glad, though. She longed to be human again, and to be only that. However, she WOULD miss the advantages of being part demon. The strength, the abilities that humans would never experience. Without warning she felt her throat tighten, as though she were about to cry. She never cried; hadn't since the day her parents had died some three hundred or more years ago. She really couldn't keep up anymore with dates.**

**Instead, she faced Shalako, a challenging glint in her eyes. "You're on. Ready... set... GO!"**

**She took off at a dead sprint, knowing Shalako was right beside her.**

---

She took off running at what was quite a simple jog for an Elf. But, he decided to hang back and let her go for it. After all, if he were going to preserve her life longevity, he'd better get used to being nice to her.

Shalako didn't like running without some sort of weapon in his hands. He wanted to be able to react fast and without hesitation if he were to come upon something that needed to be taken care of.

After running for awhile, about two hours, he noticed that one: Leilah was beginning to tire, and two: the castle didn't seem any closer at all.

'The thing must be absolutely colossal!' he thought.

Waiting for a few more short miles, he spoke aloud, "Maybe we should take a rest for awhile. That castle hasn't gotten any closer and we've been running for nigh on four hours."

Slowing down, he looked around at his surroundings. Nothing really had changed except for the fact that there wasn't a shimmering vortex above his head now. That's when Shalako finally thought of something that had bugged him since they started running.

"How are we supposed to know where the vortex is after all this is over? Oh, and get some sleep. I'll take the first watch. As a matter of fact, I'll keep watch through the night. That is, if there is one. I have better eyesight than you do."

---

**"I'm sure it will not be too difficult to find. Lucifer will most likely have a vortex in his castle as well." She said this as she made herself comfortable upon the ground. "To be honest, I hadn't thought much of that. I figured we'd have the time to search for it on our way back. It IS the only bright, shimmering hole in the sky there is around here."**

**She yawned, leaning herself against a tree. "I could take first watch if you'd like, seeing as you sleep far less than I do. A couple of hours wouldn't bring trouble to me. I would offer to cook for you but... I'm not sure what exactly is edible in Hell. And your pack is back there." She signaled at the sky, the gesture striking her as odd for a moment. "I doubt such a dreary place has ice cream. I could REALLY go for one right now." She wiped sweat from her brow. "I'm sweltering hot."**

**She realized that she was beginning to ramble on, a sure sigh of fatigue. Though she wanted to stay awake. She felt horrible for resting while Shalako kept watch. Though the gesture was kind of... adorable.**

**She smacked her forehead, most likely causing Shalako to stare at her curiously. No! That's not it at ALL! STOP THINKING THAT!**

**Instead, she began to think of ways to pass the time, ways that, perhaps, things would not feek so awkward between the two of them. "Hey, Shalako? What it is like, your Elven world? Is it as beautiful as the stories tell?"**

---

"I have some beef jerky with me if you want some of it," and he pulled said jerky out of a pocket in his jacket and tossed it to her.

Shalako sat down on his haunches and proceeded to clean his hands of filth. After doing this, he got up and started walking around, getting to know the lay of the land that he would be watching over.

Once he figured he had the best figure in his head of the land, he went back to where they were making camp and tossed his jacket to Leilah, "Here, you can use that as a pillow. I'll be taking the full night of watch. I'm extremely rejuvenated after that long sleep we had at your camp"

"The Elven country wasn't as beautiful as everyone said. Magic had been allowed to escape from people's power, and it roamed the land, slowly changing things. Everything lost it's beauty. Slowly but surely, everything began to die. From what I know from Satski now, I'm guessing that Satan had a certain roll in the Elven land dying."

He paused.

"I don't remember much of what it looked like, because to stop me from ever returning, they removed from my mind the images of the city itself. I can remember small things, like the cold winter nights looking out over a lake. It was a beautiful lake, with an island in the middle, and trees surrounding it."

Shalako sighed, and said, "I just wish I could remember more of my homeland."

---


	8. Chapter 8

**Leilah's heart sank and she wanted to reach out and take his hand, but she refrained from doing so. Instead she spoke: "I would love to see it someday... although I'm not Elven. I wish I were, though. Would be far more wonderful than having been part of a demon." She laughed silently, as though she were laughing at something not soken. "I would like to see it before I die. To see that lake you remember. Perhaps, after this, you will be allowed to return. However, I know that you doubt this and, well, I do, frankly, as well. But, know this Shalako... I do wish you the best after this ends. You're a good man, and, you deserve happiness." She smiled sincerely.**

**She nibbled a bit on the jerky in silence after that, the meat satisfying only a bit of her hunger. She watched Shalako study the land, watched the way his brows knit together in concentration, the way his body moved so gracefully, and she couldn't help but let her heart do somersaults. The butterflies in her stomach were driving her crazy.**

**Damn hormones, she cursed. This is not a time to fall in love.**

**Fall in love? Where on Earth had THAT come from? She only liked the guy. It was nothing serious. REALLY. Evern confessing she LIKED him was wrong. She couldn't like him, for after this was over, he was be gone. And she would be okay with that, because, if she continued to pary, he would be going home.**

**After a while her thoughts became slower, her movements delayed, and she rest her head on Shalako's jacket. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep.**

---

Shalako smiled, and moved over next to the sleeping Leilah. It seemed a shame that someone like her should die because the bad half of her was being eliminated.

If things worked out right, she wouldn't die though. It seemed scary to think of that after all these years alone. For so long he had made friends, and watched them get old and die. It would be weird finally being with someone like him. Aging so slow that it seemed like you were going to live forever.

Someday, Shalako hoped he could take Leilah to see that lake. Take her out on that island that...

Shalako gasped.

He spun around and grabbed Leilah's shoulders, lightly shaking her awake, "Leilah! The lake with the island in the middle! The one I remembered from the Elven world! We were there! We met there!"

---

**Leilah was half in and out of sleep, though she had heard perfectly his words to her. She rubbed her eyes, although she had not been asleep for long. When she had, she had fallen deeply.**

**"What are you- are you saying that-" She sat up, her head spinning from the sudden blood rush. "I don't understand... how could that island be...?"**

**She wasn't even sure, herself, how that could be plausible. **

---

"Isn't it obvious? Satski said that the Queen and Satan had made a pact together! The Queen had to have some way of contacting Satan, didn't she? That vortex has always been there. I'm positive of it."

Tears sprang to Shalako's eyes as he realized the full intention of his words, "Leilah, there was a whole city of Elves once around that lake. That was the last city of the Elves. They're all gone. I'm the only one left."

And Shalako walked off, feeling murderous and depressed at the same time. Could it be true? Possibly, was the only Elf left wandering the world? Or were there more out there somewhere, just waiting for Shalako to find them?

Eventually, he made it back to camp, and laid down next to Leilah, "I don't think there's anything out here that'll hurt us. It's Satan's land, and if he was going to send anything at us, he would have already."

So Shalako laid there, with all the hurt in the world resting on his shoulders.

---

**She was unsure what to do at this point. She lie there, watching him cry, giving him a moment to himself before she wrapped her arms around him and held him... as she had been wanting for the longest time. She hugged him tightly, not knowing whether or not he found this comforting or just plain creepy, but he looked as though he needed just some kind of comfort, and she was there.**

**"My god, Shalako... I am so sorry." She felt herself deeply saddened by this news, and realized that she, too, had begun to cry. She let him go after just a few minutes, not trying to overwhelm him. She sat up and lay on a hand on his. "I'm here for you, alright?" She smiled, wiping the tears that had fallen from her cheek with the back of her hand. "You don't have to feel alone. I know I'm not what you lost... I'm nothing near that. These things are still new to me and everything is just coming along so quickly. Satski... I never had any idea she was caused all of things. Oh Shalako... I don't know..."**

**And she turned away from him, for she wanted him not to see her cry, for the first time in three hundred years.**

**For him.**

---

Shalako lay there, wondering what was going on inside her head. How much did she really feel about him? He watched her for a second, just sitting there, turned away from him, attempting to hide the tears that he could hear.

Hesitantly, he reached over to where Leilah was sitting at put his arm around her, drawing her closer.

"It's alright Leilah. I should have known that it had happened all along."

After a few seconds he added, "Really, I should be the one sorry for you. You're going to lose a part of you that you've been living with for hundreds of years. I can't imagine what kind of pain that is, even if it's a part of you that isn't the best."

Shalako gave her a quick squeeze and stood up. He wandered around the camp for a little while, and then looked up at the castle.

"Leilah, is it just me, or is the castle closer than when we stopped running?"

---

**He comforted her some and she found that she could freely wipe away her tears without guilt. Looking up, she noticed exactly what Shalako had mentioned.**

**The castle had, indeed, come closer in their time idle. She stood, brushing the dirt from herself and stood beside Shalako. "How odd," she murmured, brushing her hair from her eyes. "It is as though were are in a cartoon. Could it be an optical illusion?" She began to walk forward, the dust stirring aruond her feet. Just as he had said, the further she walked, the closer the castle came, where as before, it seemed as though it did not move.**

**"I think Satan is toying with us," she said, pausing to allow Shalako to catch up.**

---


	9. Chapter 9

Shalako through his coat back on and proceeded to take off at a long run for the castle. He was going to find out what happened to the Elves, one way or another. And it seemed the best way to find out was from Satan himself.

He just hoped that Satan didn't try to kill him, because that would be one hell of a battle he did NOT want to face.

Eventually, they made it to the castle. When Shalako stood in front it, he saw that it simply towered over anything he had ever seen. If it had been on a normal world, there would have been snow around the towers.

As they walked up to the door, it swung open, seemingly of its own accord. Shalako turned around to Leilah and said, "Shall we?"

---

**She nodded definitley, swallowing the bile rising in her throat. The closer they had come, the more the darkness became her. It was becoming difficult to hold Satski at bay when they were so close to Satan. It was as though Satan himself called out to her, begging for her release of the demon that shared her soul.**

**She shuddered, staring up at the looming castle that taunted them. It was true that it was quite large; she would swear that even some clouds lie lower than its tallest tower. Concrete Gargoyles watched them with unblinking eyes, sending a chill down her spine. It wasn't that she was afriad; she would NEVER be afriad of something such as this. It were that she could have sworn she had seen it smile at her.**

**She thought to bring this to Shalako's attnetion, however though better of it and followed in his wake, hugging herself. As soon as her foot lie down upon the cobblestone floor of the castle, she broke into a heavy sweat and a bought of chills. Her teeth chattered, her fingertips numb. Her stomach churned as her knees gave way beneath her.**

**"Satski... Satki no. Not now. Please... LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed, holding her head.**

**"Poor, innocent little Leilah... how pathetic, on your knees like a whipped dog. Shaking. Frightened." That voice had come from nowhere in particular thgou seemed to echo through the halls. **

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After seeing Leilah start turning back into Satski, Shalako knew that they were close to Satan. And when the voice had spoken, he knew that there was only time to act and react, no time to hesitate and wonder what was going on.

His gun fairly flew to his right hand, and his left gun came out even faster. However, no sooner had he touched his weapons, than he dropped them. The power he had felt! Where had it come from! Quickly, he picked the two Glocks up and leveled one in each direction.

It seemed as though his incredible vision was sharpened, and his better than excellent hearing was enhanced. What was this that he was feeling? Why now was he being chosen to obtain such power?

What could this new power do?

Shalako looked at his guns, and noticed a dull white brilliance surrounding them. Was the power coming from them? Or was it coming from inside Shalako?

He'd heard of Elves possessing extreme power before, but he had never guessed it would feel like this.

Shalako, empowered by the energy running through his veins, said in a deep and foreboding voice, "Why have you summoned us here?"

He looked around to where Leilah was writhing on the ground, and said, "Leilah. Let Satski out. We're in Satan's place now. Let him take care of her."

---

**"N-no... I don't want her to hurt you." Tears had begun to fall down her cheeks at the force of keeping Satski at bay. Her body shook, as though having gone into shock. Her skin had lost its complexion, now a pale, ghostly white.**

**"There's no use trying to resist me now, Leilah," Satski sneered, her voice coming through the mouth of Leilah.**

**"LEAVE ME ALONE!"**

**"Do as your precious little boyfriend tells you; let. Me. OUT!"**

**The hall shooks, a blood-thirsty scream erupting from Leilah's lips. Her body jerked violently, a black aura surrounding her. The light became brighter, brighter still, until finally it errupted and sent with it the limp form of Leilah, crashing into the wall opposite where they stood.**

**And as the say goes: All Hell broke lose at that moment.**

**Satski had truly broken free.**

**There she stood, in all her prowess, sneering at Shalako with a hiss to match. She looked from the lifeless shell of Leilah Ryan to the twin Glocks, pulsating in the elf's hand. And at this she began to laugh. "Look at me now, Satan, you ugly bastard! Here I am... NOW COME AND GET ME!"**

**She turned on Shalako. "Remember when I said we could never be friends? I also said I wouldn't kill you... I should probably let you know: I lied." She drew Deorai from its sheath and advanced on Shalako, growling murderously. "I HATE your entire race! You are nothing but cheats and deceivers, JUST LKE YOUR QUEEN!" She made a move at him, quickening her pace. "I also forgot to mention; the reason you don't remember your precious little kingdom? We drugged you while I completely obliterated every last trace of the Elven civilization! And I'm not here for punishment, oh no... I'm here," there was a brief pause as she shifted shape before his eyes, "TO KILL THE LAST SURVIVOR! But before I do, allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Satan."**

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Finally, Shalako let it all loose. He let the power overwhelm him and take him into a far new world. He knew that it didn't come from his guns anymore, but from the Elven race hidden inside him. They were lending him strength, and he was going to use it.

Dropping his guns, and whipped the sword from his back, faster than an eye could blink. Within the same movement, he threw four shining black daggers from his waste at the demon coming at him. He didn't wait to see whether or not they made contact, but knocked Satan's sword aside and brought his own upwards. Blood showered the ground and Shalako from a cut that had laid Satski open from her left thigh, all the way up and across her chest to her right shoulder.

Slowly, Shalako began to laugh, "Don't you remember, demon," layering thick contempt on the single word, "that I told you I've killed many demons before? You're even weaker than most of them! You're slow, and not to mention, you've been trapped inside a human so long that you've lost your motivation to fight," and Shalako paused, "the motivation to kill," and his eyes flickered a deep depthless black.

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**A deadly, murderous intent glittered about her eyes as she clutched at the wound spilling blood from her side. Deorai had been knocked a far enough distance away whereas she could not hope to retrieve it without alerting Shalako, and he was far stronger than she had given him credit for. There was a new energy within him, and a sorrowful truth behind his words. She had been trapped far too long within a host; she could no longer fight for herself. Her strength for battle had lessened over the years, her ambition drained along with it. Leilah possessed that power now.**

**Or... had possessed it.**

**Satan narrowed her eyes, Satski's person entirely erased from the features of this beast. As were Leilah's. She had yet to stir; the aura of life having once surrounded her grew dim, almost untraceable. She was dying... more quickly than was thought.**

**Satski had lied about that as well.**

**"Well, well, well. Would you you look at that," Satan sneered tauntingly. "The little Elf DOES have some fight in him." She brought her fingers to her lips and licked clean the flesh, the taste of blood bringing forth a new hunger within her. "All for that poor little girl... she is dying as we speak, you know. I should never have given her hope of surviving even a day without me, let alone a year or two." Sarcastic words, of course, for she smirked, flashing her fangs threateningly. The wound across her body had begun to seal, the blood lessening. "But I do love crushing her dreams. Some of them involved you. Love is such a dispicablething... I was forced to endure her feelings of this while inhabiting her mind." She made a gesture as though gagging herself. "I will be glad to be rid of that."**

**She snapped her fingers and a light grew about them, building to a great strength, almost blinding. "You know, Shalako... you talk big." She advanced upon him slowly. "And I will admit that was a lucky shot. But you know... luck isn't everything." She was within inches of him now, fierce eyes penetrating his soul. "You've got spunk, kid. But it's not polite to assault the Devil." The shimmering light exploded and her arm thrusted outward, claws sinking in to the flesh of his sternum, as she thrust herself into his heart.**

**"Ah... the feel of a beating heart. I remember the day I had one." She squeezed, blood erupting from the wound, as though a waterfall. It pooled upon the ground, stained her feet and his. "How would you like to suffer the same bloody end as your dear, Queen, hmm?" She forced them backward, pinning Shalako back against the wall, her other hand closing tightly around his windpipe.**

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As Shalako's blood pooled around his own feet, and Satan attempted to cut off his supply of air, something snapped inside him. In that moment, he felt no pain, he felt no emotion. He felt the sole need to kill.

Satski looked him dead in the eyes, and watched as his eyes turned from a dark brown to a deep shimmering red. He looked down upon her, and with a deft movement, brought his sword up, severing her arm, and throwing her across the room.

And he laughed, and while he laughed, he spoke in a booming voice, "Don't you get it demon? I've been killing your kind for years! Never did I realize it before, but every time I did, I absorbed a little of them. No, I'm not demon myself. But I have their power. Not to mention the power of the Elves, which resides within me. YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!!!"

Shalako ran as though the wind pushed him, and raised his gore-covered sword above his head.

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	10. Conclusion

**The next morning found Leilah and Shalako in a deep, deserving slumber. Her head lie on his chest, rising and falling to the rhythm of his breathing. His arms were wrapped fondly about her, holding her tightly to his body as though protecting her from whatever came near to them, if anything so happened to. They had not moved from the island in the center of the lake, however sometime in the night a blanket had been lain across them.**

**Shalako's pack had been left open as a result.**

**Leilah stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She removed her head from Shalako's chest and yawned, rolling onto her back. The sky was a clear, iridescent blue, white, puffy clouds rolling across in tell of a beautiful day. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair and brought with it the smell of lilacs and wildflowers. The air was warm and inviting on her bare skin.**

**She gazed about her to find that the shimmering portal had dissapeared. She had not noticed its closure upon their exit and could rest easy now... knowing they had saved themselves; Shalako especially. He had saved her life and she, his. She owned him everything and would never rest until her debt was repaid.**

**A golden finch landed a few feet away, chirping madly at her. It's beautiful, bright yellow feathers glistened in the sunshine and she smiled at the beauty of nature, looking down upon Shalako, sleeping beside her. "It truly is a wonderful thing," she said quielty, though aloud to herself and the bird. "To be free... its magic."**

**THE END! **


End file.
